Otherwise I'd Have To Kill You
by Leia Rayn Storm
Summary: Grindelwald captures Minerva and offers her up in exchange for the invisibility cloak Albus has. What will happen! MMAD


"Give me the cloak Albus."

"Let me see her."

"You're testing my patience…"

"I am not too patient right now either Gellert. So I will say this once more. Let me see her."

Grindelwald sighed. "Bring her out."

One of Grindelwald's followers walked down the hall and Albus heard his heels clacking against the stone floor. It was quiet in the small, underground hideout and Albus heard the creaking open of a door. The follower that had just walked down the hall barked something, and then the follower and four more drug a woman down the hall and into the room where Albus stood.

At first Albus couldn't see her, as the room was pitch black except for the one flickering light in the middle of the room. But then the followers pushed her forward so that she was standing under the light. Albus gasped at the sight of her. Never had he seen her so disheveled.

The second she had been pushed under the light she had fallen to her knees, unable to even stand. She was covered in cuts and bruises. She was sickly pale and had to be malnourished as she looked even skinnier than before. Her lips were chapped and she kept coughing, and therefore had obviously not had enough water. The fact that she couldn't stand straight confirmed those thoughts.

She was trembling violently. Her robes were shredded and caked in mud and blood, as well as her raven hair, which was normally up in a tight bun, but now hanging around her shoulders. She glared at the men around her, but he could see in her eyes that she was terrified. She looked up at him and her eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"Minerva," he whispered, wanting nothing more than to run to her and hold her in his arms. Grindelwald had just captured her two days ago and already he had tortured her to the point that she was broken.

However Albus couldn't help but feel lucky that she was alive. When he had been told that Grindelwald had taken Minerva, he thought for sure that she was dead. That he would never be able to tell her that he was completely in love with her, and had never told her for fear that she wouldn't feel the same, and perhaps even ruin their friendship that he held so dear.

Of course he knew that she couldn't love him in return. After all he had been her teacher so there was an age difference. But after she graduated from Hogwarts he had seen quite a lot of her, not to mention that they were now fighting side by side in a war together. They had seen different sides of each other and somehow he could no longer suppress his feelings. Still he pushed them aside for the moment, as he needed to save her life.

"Just give me the cloak Albus and you can have her," Gellert said.

But Albus knew it was a lie. "Let her leave with and I shall give you the cloak…"

"It isn't going to work that way," Gellert said, shaking his head. He waved his hands at his guards in a boring fashion, and they all pointed their wands at Minerva.

"No," Albus cried, stepping forward. There was a flash of light and Minerva's screams reverberated throughout the room. Albus stared in horror as Grindelwald's followers cursed her again. "Stop! Please stop!"

Minerva let out another cry and fell forward onto the cold stone floor, blood rushing out from fresh wounds. Albus couldn't stand it anymore and ran towards her, but then there were more flashes of light, Minerva's screams, and Albus was thrown backwards into a wall. If it hadn't been for his determination to save Minerva, he would have passed out as his head slammed into the wall. However he opened his eyes wide and fought against the darkness that threatened to overtake him.

He pushed himself to his feet as Grindelwald said, "Now, now Albus you know that won't do."

Albus stepped as close as he could to where Minerva lie on the floor and watched as she attempted to push herself up. She didn't seem to want to, but that was Minerva, always trying to be strong. He loved her for it, but he really wished she would just lie down. It was safer.

Without conscious thought, Albus pulled the invisibility cloak out of his robe pocket, never taking his eyes off Minerva.

Grindelwald laughed. "You see that men? Albus Dumbledore would rather my reign of terror continue than to let his dear Minerva suffer. I knew you had a weakness, I just didn't know it was a girl."

Albus ignored Grindelwald and instead watched as Minerva looked at Albus in horror. "No," she cried, though it was more like a whisper, coming from her dry throat. "Don't give it to him Albus!"

"Shut up," Grindelwald shouted and Albus gasped as one of his followers poked their wand against Minerva's back, causing her to scream, yet again.

Albus had had enough. He cried out in rage and brought his wand up towards the follower, however he was severely outnumbered and he was, again, thrown against the wall.

"Really Albus this could be so much simpler," Grindelwald said a bit impatiently.

Albus angrily pushed himself to his feet and returned to the spot where he had been before he had been thrown across the room. "Then let us make the exchange Gellert. I see no reason to continue this. I will hold out the cloak whilst I take Minerva's hand."

Grindelwald stepped into the light and Albus could see he was contemplating something. Albus feared it was not a good thing, and he was proved correct when Grindelwald brushed a hand against Minerva's cheek. Albus grinded his teeth and Minerva stared at Grindelwald's hand in shock.

Minerva pulled her face away from Grindelwald and reached out for his hand, as if about to rip it off. But he grabbed her wrist with one hand and slapped her across the face with the other. The sound rang throughout the chamber and Albus winced, tears filling his eyes.

"You know," Grindelwald said, looking from Minerva to Albus and back again. "I'm not sure that I want to give her back. I've noticed what you see in her Albus. She is quite beautiful, much more so than the women I seem to find in my company as of late. And younger too."

Grindelwald grinned and Minerva snorted. "I would rather die than be left in your company you spineless son of a…"

Minerva's cursing was cut off as Grindelwald grabbed her roughly around the neck. "That can be arranged." He sighed. "So sad that your beauty will be wasted, lying in a tomb under the ground to be eaten up slowly by vermin. Any last words Minerva? Albus?"

"I don't think so," Albus said, planning his next move quickly.

Minerva looked up into Albus's eyes then and she gave him a sad smile. "It's alright Albus, you can let me go. You know you can't allow him to have the cloak and the rest of the wizarding world needs you. But I want you to know…I-I…I love you."

"How sweet," Grindelwald said in a disgusted tone. "She returns your love."

Grindelwald flicked his wrist, sparks flying out of his wand, Minerva closed her eyes, expecting to die, and Albus took that as his chance. He blocked Grindelwald's spell first, causing Gellert to stumble backwards. Then Albus quickly used a spell to send Grindelwald's followers flying in the air, their wands flying from their grasp as well.

Albus saw a stray spell fly towards Minerva and he panicked, not sure if he would get to her in time. However, she was still Minerva, and when she realized what was going on and saw the spell flying towards her face, she rolled away from it, saving herself by only a few inches.

That left Albus distracted, and when he looked up again, Gellert was sending the killing curse at him. Minerva screamed and reached out a hand towards Albus, as if that would save him. However Albus acted quickly and sent out the first spell he could think of, sending Grindelwald's curse back at him.

When Grindelwald and his followers were lying on the ground, Albus ran quickly over to Minerva, who was curled up in a ball on the floor. She was clutching her stomach and moaning in pain. Albus quickly got on his knees and gently pulled her into his arms. After having a slight panic attack he apparated to a spot just outside the tent he had been in when he got word that Minerva had been kidnapped. Then he turned to his left and ran into the next tent, which was for those who needed medical attention.

"She needs help," Albus cried as Minerva let out another cry of pain.

A young mediwitch, also Minerva's close friend, Poppy Pomfrey, came running up to Albus with a worried look on her face. "Minerva," she cried, motioning Albus to lay Minerva on a bed.

"Is she going to be alright," Albus asked, gripping Minerva's hand as Poppy ran from place to place, gathering supplies and almost forgetting to pull out her wand.

"I don't know," Poppy said sadly. "I hope so."

Albus felt tears sting his eyes. Minerva gripped the edge of the bed and Albus's hand tightly, crying out in pain once more. "Oh Minerva," Albus whispered, brushing her hair from her face so that Poppy could better take care of the wounds there.

A few hours later, Albus was sitting in a waiting room at St. Mungo's, feeling sick and terrified. Poppy had done whatever possible to help Minerva, and had actually saved her life. But she could only do so much and Minerva had to be transported to St. Mungo's or else she would have suffered immense pain, and perhaps even died.

Now Albus had to wait in the wretched waiting room and pray that Minerva would be alright. If she wasn't…he didn't know what he would do, but he would most certainly not be able to live with himself. If only he had gotten to her sooner.

Albus sighed and put his face in his hands. Minerva's screams were still etched into his mind and he couldn't hear anything else without those screams being present. Poppy hadn't been able to risk putting Minerva to sleep, and so she had screamed the entire time Poppy was healing her. Then she had screamed on the way to St. Mungo's, as well as after the mediwitches and wizards whisked her away down the hall and to a room where they could heal her.

"Albus Dumbledore," a mediwitch said, and Albus jumped to his feet, rushing over to the young woman.

"Is Minerva alright," Albus asked the second he was in front of her.

The mediwitch sighed and Albus felt his heart jump into his throat. "She is stabilized and if everything goes right then she should make a full recovery."

"What do you mean by 'if everything goes right'?"

"Well she's a bit stubborn," the mediwitch replied. "She's already asked to go home and insists that she has no need to stay here. She even threatened one of her mediwizard's when he put his hand on her forehead to see if her temperature had gone down."

Albus chuckled, just envisioning the look on the mediwizard's face when Minerva told him she wanted to go home and then threatening him. Albus knew everything would be alright, Minerva was already returning to her normal self.

"May I see her," Albus asked. "I promise to make sure she stays in bed."

The mediwitch nodded. "You should hurry; if it's possible for you to control her I'm sure the doctor's would be very grateful."

Albus nodded. "Of course." Then he thanked the mediwitch and quickly made his way to Minerva's room. He hadn't gotten halfway down the hallway where her room was when he heard her angered voice, and that of another's.

"Please Ms. McGonagall you must think of your health," the other voice, a man said. He said it calmly, but Albus could hear the annoyance in his voice.

Albus quickened his pace as he heard Minerva say, "I am perfectly capable of deciding what is best for my own body."

"I'm sure you are," the voice said. "But you must stay in your bed…"

"Or what? You'll hold me against my will? I think not. I will not stay in this insufferable place any longer."

"You can't go home until we are sure that you're in good health Ms. McGonagall and you are not yet in good enough health to be sent home."

Albus finally made it to the door and opened it just as Minerva said, "I am able to walk and talk, that is quite enough for me."

The mediwizard let out an exasperated sigh as Minerva pushed herself off her bed, swaying a bit as she did so. "Now, now Minerva, listen to the mediwizard he knows what's best for you," Albus said, making his way across the room.

Minerva looked over at Albus and gasped. "Albus…you're here."

"Of course I am Min," Albus said when he reached her, taking her hand in his and using his other hand to usher her back into bed.

"I'll leave you two alone," the mediwizard said, giving Albus a look of gratitude before closing the door behind him.

When he was gone, Albus turned back to Minerva and smiled, sitting in a chair next to her bed. He was still holding her hand when he said, "How are you feeling my dear?"

Minerva shrugged and looked away. Albus frowned.

"What is it love?"

Minerva turned back to Albus with tears in her eyes and said, "I'm sorry."

Albus furrowed his brow. "For what?"

Minerva looked down at her hands and blew out a breath. "I shouldn't have let Grindelwald capture me. I wasn't paying enough attention. I put you in danger and…I shouldn't have told you I loved you. I'm sorry, but, I thought I was going to die and I couldn't die without you knowing." She whispered the last sentence and Albus decided it was time to tell her his feelings.

"Minerva," he said quietly, moving to sit beside her on her bed. He rubbed her back soothingly and gripped her hand tighter. "I assure you that you have done nothing wrong. You cannot blame yourself for anything Grindelwald did to you, and I would never have allowed him to kill you because then I could not do this…"

Minerva looked up at Albus in confusion and said, "Do wh…"

But she was cut off when Albus leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. At first it was just a soft, quick kiss, and Albus was about to pull away, for fear of angering Minerva. But then she put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him harder.

When they pulled away, gasping for air, Albus whispered in her ear, "I love you Minerva."

"Well that's good because otherwise I am afraid that I would have to kill you," Minerva replied.

Albus pulled back a bit to look into her eyes, slightly baffled. Minerva simply shrugged, "I don't just let _anyone _kiss me Albus. I mean really, what kind of a woman do you take me for?"

Albus chuckled and Minerva gave him a devilish grin before leaning in and kissing him again.


End file.
